Kimberly Jones

Media Analysis – Positive message

            Essence Magazine published an advertisement portrayed woman in a sophisticated yet realistic light. Not only does the AD send a positive message about women to its audience, it also shows an African American woman as a mother who is there for her child. As the mother holds her child’s hand, she’s making eye contact and listening to her little one. Both the mother and child are well clothed so the attention is not focused on their body.  When I first saw the AD, I automatically thought of an upper middle class working mother walking her child home from school. The setting is in a nice neighborhood, which gives a refined vibe.  I feel that this image is rare and are mostly found in African American media outlets. The AD does go against many stereotypes society places on African American women.

            Although black females are shown in a positive light, the AD was in a magazine direct towards blacks. It’s important for similar Ads to circulate in popular mass media. Motivation and Achievement are what I feel when I look at this Ad. I want to be the successful mom that has time for her child once he gets out of class. Ads of classy black women are eye catching when flipping through a magazine. I tend to focus on their make up, hair and style.  Young girls also envy to be like the images in the magazine therefore the Ads that shows a chic black mom could be desired.

Media Analysis- negative message

Elle magazine circulated a disturbing advertisement that depicted women of color in an unappealing fashion. An Asian American woman appears to be physical abused where red nail polish is used to resemble blood in the picture. The women of color are not equally represented in popular culture and to compose the picture as though she has been beat up is way out of line. The Ad is to sell make up but it sells violence towards women of color. The woman is not sending a positive message nor is she illustrated to be a role model. She is simple shown as a helpless women covered in “blood”.  

I don’t understand how the Ad is even selling the polish instead just leaving a disturbing image that’s motives are clearly not respectable. I would not even be focused on the make-up and definitely would not be eager to by the products after seeing the evil AD. The woman is also very thin sending out another damaging messages to girls who want to be accepted into our society. Ads that contain violence is stating that abuse, rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault victimizations at the hands of an intimate are becoming the norm if it just can be tossed in an magazine AD so freely.

            As a woman of color I feel that the media is still portraying us as  being worth less than white women. I occasionally gaze through Elle magazine to see current images of fashion however the representations of minority woman or even women in general are not given justice.